It’s December and the season of giving. Gifts will be bought, (For others and perhaps for one’s self) wrapped, given, and some of them, returned or exchanged. Millions of dollars is spent around Christmas to celebrate “the reason for the season.” In fact, ABC news reports that the Retail Foundation estimates $465 billion dollars will be spent this year.
I love Christmas and the Christmas tradition of giving gifts. I have to admit I find much more pleasure in shopping and giving the perfect gift than in receiving. I absolutely delight in the little things like stocking stuffers and the big things like an unexpected Christmas Dinner cooked for a family. One of my favorite ways of “loving” someone is to cook for them or prepare food for them. I will bake endless cookies, fudge, divinity for everyone close to me to enjoy! The hard part is not sampling everything!
What I have discovered however, is there is a gap for so many people – the giving gap. I’ve realized the most precious gifts can’t be bought. The most precious things in life are the intangible things. Love, peace, integrity, harmony, respect, laughter, joy, and so much more. These are things that truly make us happy and yet we cannot give them to someone. They can’t be bought, found at Wal-Mart or on eBay, demanded, sold, or bargained for. We spend millions and billions of dollars each year on the things that don’t really matter in life. The gap comes in the fact that regardless of the amount of money spent on material gifts, we aren’t really adding to quality of life. Yes, it’s nice to receive presents, and they are nice, pretty or green, but how many of them will you remember in ten years? Twenty?
It’s the intangible things that cross the gap and truly touch us – acts of service, kind words, demonstrating that you care for someone etc. – that reach our heart and remind us what the Christmas season is about. Maybe it’s doing something for someone who can’t pay you back. Maybe it’s being a Christmas Angel for a family who won’t be eating a Christmas Dinner, or any dinner at all that day. Maybe it’s just spending time with loved ones. For many years, Mack and I have focused on making memories, rather than giving one another gifts from a store. I will forever remember the five mile anniversary hike that turned in a fourteen mile hike; the Valentine’s day we went to Niagara Falls with Eric; and the anniversary we spent on Times Square. I couldn’t tell you what Mack and I gave one another for Christmas each year but I well remember the night I had to work Christmas eve and came home to find he had bought food to cook a special dinner with me.
As you plan your shopping this year, spend some time thinking of what you are buying and why. Ask yourself if you could make a memory with someone instead or do something for someone who isn’t able to. There are countless ways to make someone feel appreciated, special and loved that don’t require a lot of money spent. Stuck for ideas? Just Google or Pinterest “Gift Giving That Doesn’t Cost Money” and you will find a wealth of inspiration that will have you and your loved ones feeling rich on Christmas Day!
Ria is a certified, executive coach with a passion for asking questions to empower others to make the right choices today to reach their goals tomorrow. Contact Ria for more information on her coaching programs. To sign up for Ria’s mailing list and receive her complimentary leadership series CLICK HERE.
